Inbetween Lies
by Alice Shade
Summary: Shego and Kim converse about crime and law while waiting for GI rescue. Rated due to coarse language. No romance whatsoever.


Legal drek disclaimer.

I do not own the show, nor any character. All fanfiction clauses apply. No profit could ever be sought nor garnered through perusal of this text. Anyone interested has the right to write sequel, prequel, remake, whathave you. For the most inquisitive, there are author notes in the end.

**Between the lies.**

- Give it up. We both know you`re lying. Why don`t you just own up to your actions?  
- No way. No way in hell I`m going to take the fall for this, and if you think you can pin that shit on me, you`re nuts, Princess.  
- Again with the denial, Shego? It`s proven in black and white, already, just goddamn take the responsibility for your crimes for once!  
- Fuck you and the horse you rode on in, Pumpkin. MY crimes are feats to take pride in, and thus I do, by God. That cretinism, however... hah, that`s grade-A bullshit.

Kim Possible and Shego were grappling on the floor, cramped quarters of escape pod leaving little to no space for more elaborate fighting. Neither gave any quarter nor asked for any. Presumably, Ron and Drakken could be doing something similar in the other pod... Or, more likely, were sharing a thermos of warm cocomoo waiting for GI to pick them up.

- Why are you so hell-bent on denying the obvious, Shego? There`s so much proof you did it that you might very well be caught red-handed.  
- Exactly why, damnit. Since then do I leave any proof, Princess?  
- Since always? It`s not like anyone has difficulties recognizing your thefts.  
- Thinking I did it and proving I did it are two separate things, Pumpkin... Haah! No court can convict someone going only from hunches. So, no, no goddamn fabrication you`ll ever come up with would ever hold water.  
- Fabrication, now? Just how is it fabrication... NNgh!... Pray tell?  
- You don`t get it, do you, princess? If I don`t leave proof, then leaving so ample proof ain`t something I`d do. Ergo, it`s not me leaving all that proof. And since... Agh!... That proof is there, it`s fabricated.  
- Funny, and here I thought you`re just a liar caught in her own lies.  
- Ow... Dammit, OK, that`s enough! Timeout, princess... I said timeout, or I WILL heat up!  
- OOh, threatening me now? You`re pathetic.

Snarling, Shego suddenly discharged a blast of plasma between them, sending both of them into the opposite walls. Grabbing a hold of wall, Shego rose her arm, fingertips dripping with green glow, holding it as a shield between herself and Kim.

- Now calm the fuck down! If I`ll have to give us both heat stroke, I swear I will. I`ve had enough of your filthy mouth, Pumpkin. Banter is one thing, accusing me of crimes that revulse me is another.  
- Oi. Such an innocent lady, are you?  
- I said that`s ENOUGH! Goddamnit, Kim, what the hell is wrong with you? Where`d you go off thinking you can slur people like that? I`m not a fucking paedophile, for the last time! I`m a thief, not a rapist! Especially not child molester, for crying out loud. It`s NOT me.  
- More denial? If you`re so broken up about it you can`t even speak about it, how about you give in and see a nice friendly shrink in prison? I bet they have a lot of experience with issues like yours.  
- Only one with issues here is you, Pumpkin. I guess when you heroic lot stray from straight and narrow, you really go off the deep end.  
- Hardy-har-har. So you`re saying I`ve set this up now? Way classy, Shego.  
- I don`t know who set this up, yet. What I am certain of - it`s not ME.  
- Who, then, if not you? All proof points to you. Video recording, DNA samples, witness testimony. Everything points to you. So what now, do you presume to tell me it`s all a lie and I`m supposed to take your word over the tangible proof?  
- If you want to put it this way, how about you prove you do have tangible proof, first off?  
- Prove what? That I have it? Don`t worry, it`s all locked up in the places where even you can`t burgle your way in.  
- Prove that it`s indeed the proof, Princess. Prove that it actually incriminates me without any room for doubt.  
- How about just looking at that video? Is that not you?  
- Doi. Of course not.  
- Mmhm, you keep telling yourself that.  
- Just what in the video proves without a doubt that it features me? You can`t even see the face properly. All that`s evident in it is clothes and long black hair. Ain`t a big problem faking those, you know. Even you could dye your hair black and put on one of them make-pretendy suits of mine they`ve been selling last Halloween.  
- How about the latest part of video, which features the birthmark on your naked derriere?  
- I don`t have a birthmark, Princess.  
- GI records of your medical prove otherwise.

Sighing, Shego shook off the leftover plasma droplets from her fingertips, and run her fingers over the front of her suit, undoing the hooks craftily.

- ...Jjjust what the hell you`re doing?! Shego?! Are you completely NUTS!  
- Shut the fuck up, Princess. Since you`re willing to besmirch my name like this, showing you my naked ass won`t soil it any further. Once you`ll see the birthmark you`re yapping about, feel free to tell me.

Shego turned around, slipping her suit down to her knees, holding it up with one hand and keeping herself covered as best as she could with other. As distressed as Kim was by this development, she felt compelled to look. There was no birthmark. As she let out startled sound, Shego snorted and pulled her suit back up, slipping it back on, and hooking it closed again.

- Strike one, Princess.  
- Bbbut! But you HAD birthmark!  
- No, I didn`t. If you`re talking about the medical I`ve gotten during first booking, I`ve had a huge hematoma on my left buttock at that time. You ought to know, since you`re the one who gave me that bruise. Talk about cheap shots. Obviously, I pulled a fast one on GI and claimed it`s birthmark.  
- Ssso.. So not changes anything! So you still had your bruise when you did that!  
- Could I?  
- Yes, you could!  
- I doubt that. Any more irrefutable proof I am the one doing nasty on the camera? While we`re on the topic, any insight as to how could I possibly disable every single camera during the last fifty thefts and yet be stupid enough to miss this one?  
- DNA testing is more then enough to prove you did it!  
- Is it, Princess? Just what kind of sample we`re talking about, here? Blood sample? Skin cells? Hair follicle?  
- You know perfectly well what I`m talking about.  
- Actually no, I don`t. Which is the whole point of conversation. So if you`re so hell-bent on declaring me a child molestor, why don`t you prove I am?  
- Your DNA was retrieved from the bed! What other proof could you possibly need?  
- Why, the proof I`ve placed it there, of course. Since you`ve said it`s from bed, it`s most likely a hair follicle. Blood sample or skin sample would have to be collected from victim, provided said victim obtained those unintentionally beforehand.  
- See? You know just as well as I do that it`s hair.  
- And that proves what, Pumpkin? That I can do that thing smart people call deduction? Try doing it sometimes, it`s fun. Back to our muttons, however - what proof do you have this sample was placed on the bed by me?  
- Who else could`ve placed it?  
- My doppelgänger, of course. The female who posed for camera and flashed it oh so inconspicuous birthmark which it ain`t. It`s a childplay to bring in a few strands of hair and scatter it around the bed. Hair, which had been stored for DNA samples at the medical I`ve endured at GI facilities, let`s not forget that.  
- So what, you presume to tell me that GI staged this rape to frame you? Conspiracy theory much?  
- For now, I`m pointing out the ways it could`ve happened without my participation. But come to think of it, it`s you who said it`s GI is doing the frame-up - not me.  
- And they would do it why?  
- To make sure they have something tangible to hold me on? Kimmie, planning to dominate the world isn`t exactly criminal offence, and with my approach, people never get to prove in black and white that either me or Drakken had actually ever committed any crime. Don`t you ever wonder how come we can go at it again and again so often?  
- I don`t believe you.  
- You don`t believe it`s not butter either, Cupcake. Possessing a stolen property is about as bad as proven crime goes with Drakken, and that is not a kind of offence to do serious time. So GI needs something that would turn the opinion of court against me, something that would put the case not in the arbitration court, but in criminal court.  
- The what now?  
- Oh, for... Your naivete exceeds the Planck`s constant, Kimmie. Criminal activity that COULD get pinned on me, and by proxy Drakken, is stealing. But for a crime to be stealing, owner of object in question has to declare it stealing. Which isn`t happening, because Drakken is an oddball genius.  
- Who thought up a way to never ever be convicted... Right. Invent something less outrageous, maybe then I`ll believe you.  
- Stupid girl. The issue with Drakken is exactly that he is an oddball. An oddball who more often then not modifies whatever he stole in completely unexpected and innovative ways just to suit his ridiculous needs. Put the case in criminal court, and whatever gizmo Drakken stole from you will be held in GI custody for ages. Now, put it into arbitration court as ownership dispute, and you get back your gizmo, often with highly valuable modifications which bring you millions of pure profit. Drakken, unbeknownst to him, authored no less then seventeen R&D breakthroughs just within this year. If he wasn`t completely whacked out, he could`ve been the planet`s number one authority on mind-blowingly advanced science stuff.  
- Oh, yeah? And companies you steal from prefer to get their advanced stuff early and with... innovative modifications rather then... see you and... Drakken... brought... to... jus... tice...  
- Saw the light, now did you, Cupcake? Yes, it`s not in their best interests to push us behind the grates. Companies get publicity, breakthroughs, advertisement, people get their entertainment, Drakken soothes his shattered psyche with endless plans for world domination, I get helluva monies for keeping things going smoothly, everyone happy. Well, everyone except for GI and Betty.  
- Oh?  
- Duh. GI is getting it`s funding cut each year, because between creatively-insane nutjobs like Drakken and Dementor and global trading communities, there`s not a lot for intelligence agency to do. By now, Betty desperately needs to put someone, anyone, behind the grates with a big bang, just to keep her kit and caboodle from becoming glorified police unit. Unfortunately for her, I`m NOT going down for her sake, and you ain`t going to sway me either, Kimmie.  
- Nice story you`ve spun here. Too bad you`re not a mystery writer, Shego. Could`ve actually made some honest money instead of trying to pull the wool over my eyes.  
- Wool over your eyes, Princess? Please. With titanium blinds you`ve already got on, no additional wool is necessary. Betty`s your first and last authority on everything. If she`d tell you Earth is really flat, you`d go and look for it`s edge to check out the elephants and turtle.  
- Well, gee, it`s a bit easier to believe law enforcer with proof then criminal with lies, don`t you think?  
- No, I don`t think so. And you don`t think, period. Between me and her, who needs to lie more, tell me?  
- You, duh. You`re the criminal, aren`t you?  
- Astute. So what exactly do I need to lie about?  
- ..Er, what?  
- You heard me. I`m a criminal, I don`t give a damn about laws and other people, I do what I want and as I want. What possible reason would I have to lie? What possible topic do I have to lie about? Whom I would lie to, for that matter? For crying out loud, Pumpkin, think already.  
- What are you talking about?  
- Me, doi. Why would I lie?  
- To cover up your crime, doi.  
- Well, gee, let`s see here. I`m bragging about no less then a hundred of successful acts of theft, espionage, kidnapping freely. And suddenly I just have to lie about one particular crime? Why? It`s not like one specific crime would add or detract anything from my notoriety, by now.  
- You just explained that yourself. This crime could actually stick to you, unlike the others.  
- And I would commit a crime that could stick to me why? Motive, Pumpkin, motive. What goddamn motive could I have to throw my sweet life away for a piece of underaged ass?

- No answer, I see. For crying out loud, Princess, I`m a goddamn millionaire. If I wanted a nookie that desperately, I could`ve bought myself a whole brothel with pocket money. What the hell is supposed to be so special about this chick to make me want her in first place, let alone in such atrocious way?  
- ...Well, you being the criminal and..?  
- Oh-ho, you did not just say that, Cupcake. Oh wait, you did. Well, gee golly willikers, then you ought to be into hardcore BDSM for sure. After all, we all know that women in law enforcements are all hard on for whipping some poor schmuck silly. Bow-chicka-bow-wow, baby, want to punish bad-bad criminal Shego for being so baddy-bad?

Kim felt her scalp tingle and cheeks heat up from the furious blush. She scrambled back, pressing her back into the wall, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Finally, she managed to get enough of her breathing under control to regain vocation capabilities.

- SHEGO!!?!? You sick demented... GAAH!  
- Oh, is our little miss law enforcer ruffled? Ain`t so pleasant when you`re the one to get stereotyped, is it?  
- You... WHAT?  
- Stereotype, Princess! Goddamn stereotype. If all criminals without exclusion are rapists, all policewomen are dominatrices. Do you want to go down that road? No? Thought so. Now think up some better reason why I would suddenly do something so out of character for me.  
- NNgh.. Perverted sicko. Why should I think up anything?  
- Because you`re accusing me of goddamn rape, that`s why!  
- I`m not accusing you, I want you to own up to what you did!  
- ...How the hell did you pass English, Pumpkin? Would I need to prove you wrong with thesaurus, of all things?  
- OK, fine, I`m accusing you of something you`ve certainly did! Happy?  
- No. I`m not happy. Not the slightest. You haven`t offered a single shred of tangible evidence, yet you have the gall of telling me I did it.  
- I`ve GOT evidence!  
- How come I`m not seeing any? Come on, if you have anything else to prove I`m the guilty party, how about you put it on the table? Insofar, I`ve amply demonstrated that I don`t have a clear motive. Moreso, none of the proof so far can decisively implicate me. If you think I`m being difficult right now, just consider how difficult my lawyer will be. Because, yet again, NO way in hell I`m taking the fall for something I didn`t do.  
- We have a witness to testify it was you, don`t forget. Maybe video alone isn`t enough to implicate you, but video, DNA and witness all together are ironclad proof you did it.  
- Now you mean to tell me someone was observing this debacle in person and I`ve failed to notice them? Nor did they came to victim`s help, even? Why do I smell bullshit here?  
- Because you`re slinging it at me non-stop?  
- Nice comeback. Glad to see I`m rubbing off on you. Seriously though, what the fuck, Princess? Now you also want to tell me I`m inept enough to actually let someone witness me committing a crime and let them get away with that? Or even worse, do you want to suggest that I suddenly failed to notice someone in that damn room? World-famous thief Shego fails to see person in well-lit room, too busy ineptly molesting stiff school chick? You can`t be serious. Even buffoon wouldn`t miss something like that.  
- Well, gee, of course not. I mean, how the hell could you miss the witness if you concentrated your whole attention in her?  
- ....WHAT?! You mean to tell me the victim is your decisive witness?  
- Surprised?  
- Well, duh. Flabbergasted, even. I don`t know how do you buy into this, Pumpkin, but this won`t hold in court. Any defence attorney who was actually admitted to the bar would leave nothing of that theory within five minutes.  
- Really? I dunno, this theory seems rather solid to me.  
- Yeah. Right. Solid. Let`s recap, shall we? Our probable culprit - world-famous thief Shego, notorious for numerous thefts attributed to her but never indicted for any of them due to lack of evidence. You maintain that said culprit had ventured into the bedroom of random jailbait teenager, got showcased on no less then three security cameras and mooned at least one, then proceeded to molest said jailbait while shedding hair all over the bed. To prove this you have video recordings from camera, hairs from bed and testimony of teenager herself. And you think this is ironclad case against the culprit in question and there`s absolutely no room for doubt despite lack of any clear motive and severe discrepancies in evidence. Well, by golly, Princess, you`re onto something here. I mean, why should we entertain a notion that there could be some other explanation other then "Shego did it!"?  
- Well, what other explanation could there be?  
- How about "Shego isn`t brain-dead yet." kind of explanation? I reiterate - I have no motive. The only part of evidence that fingers directly me is the hair sample. This theory is the brainchild of GI, who are leading the investigation, who DO have samples of my hair to add to their case and who do have very clear motive to frame me. So who is more likely to be guilty? Me or GI?  
- You. Because GI wouldn`t fabricate the evidence.  
- How can you prove that?  
- They`re law enforcement agency.  
- Your point being? They have a very clear motive to fabricate the whole case. Just because they are law enforcers does not mean they can`t commit a crime. If it comes to THAT, I`d demand complete acquittal on the grounds I`ve used to be a part of Team Go, and therefore, as a law enforcer, can do no evil.  
- Why are you even arguing, Shego? It`s either you or GI. GI wouldn`t commit crime. That leaves only you.  
- Prove they wouldn`t commit a crime. What proof you have they didn`t set the whole thing up? They stand to gain a lot for framing me successfully.  
- They`re not criminals, you are.  
- So are you, Princess. Vigilantism is not legal. If GI turns blind eye to your illegal actions, why would they not commit a crime themselves?  
- WHAT?! I`m so NOT a criminal!  
- Yes, you are. Technically, you commit assault and battery every time you truss up Drakken. You`re underage, so you can`t be legal law enforcer - which by proxy means that you`re due for a few lifetimes of juvenile hall incarceration by now. So just what difference there is between us? You constantly break anti-violence laws. I constantly break property ownership laws. Both are about the same kind of gravity by the word of law. If GI isn`t above covering you up for their benefit, what says they`re above framing me for the same purpose?

Holding her head, Kim motioned for Shego to keep quiet. She couldn`t ignore the nagging voice in her head anymore - the voice that kept hollering at her for being naive trusting fool. Her arguments sounded hollow even to herself, yet she couldn`t just let Shego win like that. It was wrong!... But it was even wrong... wronger, to accuse even Shego of something she didn`t do.

- ...Look, Shego... Let`s assume I believe you, for a moment. Just tell me, what motive did you have, and I`ll...  
- NO MOTIVE! Are you braindead, KIM!? How many times I have to repeat myself?! I don`t HAVE any goddamn MOTIVE! I don`t even know that chick, for crying out loud.  
- No, I mean... If you`d do that, what motive would you have in that case?  
- ...I don`t do that shit, Kim. Pure and simple. I just don`t. If I were actually pissed off at someone seriously enough to want to hurt them that badly, I`d just kill them.  
- But if you did?  
- Sigh. Princess, I honestly can`t think of anything that`d make me want to do that.  
- ...So... You just wouldn`t do that with a teenage girl, no matter what?  
- Against her will? No.  
- Oh? You mean you would, if?  
- Princess, what are you getting at? Yes, I would consider having sex with attractive consenting adult female. That`s about closest as I can get to what you`re trying to ask. If even one of those three characteristics is missing, I`m not interested.  
- But what if you really liked someone and they didn`t want to.. you know?  
- ...What kind of liking is that? No way, Pumpkin. Once again, I`m rich, famous and notorious. It`s not like I`d have problems obtaining ready and willing sextoy for the evening, if I wanted to.  
- But what if you fell in love with her and she wouldn`t...?  
- Hah. First of all, I don`t even know who that is. Kind of hard to fall in love without being aware of person, y`know. Second, your idea of love is fucked up, Princess. If I`d love someone, why the hell would I want to hurt them like this?  
- But?... Bbut...!  
- No butts here but you, Kimmie. Seriously, just no. There`s no reasonable explanation for putting me into this scenario. None at all.  
- But that does not make sense! Why would you do that without a motive?  
- AAAAAAARGH! YOU DIE NOW, CINDERBRAIN!  
- Heheh. I`m kidding this time, actually.  
- .....Your sense of humour sucks.  
- Maybe. Anyway, yes, I have to admit something does not make sense here, and that something warrants a good look into. I`m still going to assume you`re lying through your teeth to cover up, of course.  
- Whatever.  
- Don`t whatever me here! I`m taking a huge risk even...  
- Risk? RISK? Actually thinking is a risk nowadays? What in the blazes is wrong with you? Did GI contracted Borthel for slavery chips or something?  
- ...What now?  
- Sigh. I can`t believe I have to be one to explain you the basics of judicial system. Had you ever heard maxim - "Innocent, until proven guilty"? It means that as long as there is any doubt about your guilt, you can`t be persecuted for it. That much is a part of constitution, per ce.  
- Right. And you`re explaining the obvious to me why?  
- Because you fail to comprehend it. Putting it bluntly, you`re NOT taking risks when you doubt the spotty proof - you`re acting in strict accordance to ideals of our society, such as it is. On the flip side, if you reject all doubt without examination, maintaining that your proof is infallible, no matter the arguments against... In this case, you violate my civil liberties - which I still retain, I have to add. So, Pumpkin, the only risk you take here is taking Betty`s word as infallible truth - and that is the risk of committing a treason. Obviously, it won`t be allowed to escalate that far - I`m talking about de jure case here, not de facto. De facto, it`s possible to handpick a jury that would find me guilty without any evidence whatsoever - take you and eleven more of Betty`s mindless thralls who are afraid to doubt the authority, and voila. De jure, that would be a mockery of judicial system, and by extension - profanation of constitution itself, which is tantamount to treason. Comprende?  
- I`m so not a mindless thrall!  
- Really? You`re not? So how came you never even considered the offered proof critically until I broke it down for you right now? What kind of law enforcer are you, if you don`t even scrutinise your facts before committing to theory?  
- It`s OBVIOUS! Why would anyone scrutinise obvious things?  
- ...Anyone with brains would. Not everything is what it seems at first glance, Pumpkin. Just for your reference - your style of law enforcement had been practised too. If it`s obvious, there is no need to look further into it - Russians did that in 1938-39. If you didn`t miss your world history lesson, you should remember the toll of repressed in USSR during those two years. Since then, USSR had very detailed and meticulously-laid judicial system, which mandated investigation in any and all cases. Can you guess why?  
- ...Because of huge number of false convictions.  
- Bravo, Princess. Yes, because they convicted so many people for "obvious" stuff that it crippled their army and left it practically headless - which bit them in the ass in a BIG way two years later. Obvious things are very treacherous kind of evidence. Crime, Pumpkin, is something people naturally try to cover up. So if there is obvious evidence, chances are it`s been placed there intentionally or isn`t relevant to the case at all. More often then not, accepting that evidence at face value leads the investigation away from the culprit.  
- Funny, how much you know about covering up crime. Makes you wonder, no?  
- It would be funny if I didn`t knew. Considering my ample experience on the both sides of fence.  
- Both sides?  
- Kimmie, you don`t really like to look into things, do you? Amount of time I`ve spent as a member of team Go until very recently was bigger part of my career. It would be ridiculous if I learned nothing of investigating while being the brains of outfit.  
- You? The brains of team Go? Heheh.  
- Who else? Ostensibly, only Mego could do it, if not me, but Mego does not like being responsible for others, remember?  
- Only Mego? What about your other brothers?  
- Wegos were too young to do that. They`re still too young to do that, not that it`s any of my business anymore.  
- You know, it`s quite curious you seem to forget about Hego all of a sudden.  
- Hego? He does not want it.  
- ...Can`t you talk without lying?  
- Pumpkin, I`m serious as a heart attack. Hego does not want to think. He likes to fancy himself a leader - the kind that leads people into fight. That much he does fairly well, too. The problems come when straight-out brawl is not a solution - Hego does not know how to deal with it, and ultimately, delegates that kind of situation to Mego. He used to delegate them to me, but I don`t work with them anymore.  
- Why would Hego delegate decisions like that? It`s not like him at all!  
- Heh. On the contrary. It`s very much like him. Hego is dull. And he knows that pretty well. He is not a smoothtalker like Mego, he can`t do sarcasm like me, and he`s got no twin to win by cuteness factor like Wegos. If he were to try making up a cunning plan, he`d utterly fail to convey it to people in a trustworthy way. Take away his superpowers, and he is a dork, essentially. He`s not smart enough to be nerd, not socially-apt enough to be jock and not dedicated to anything enough to be geek. The only way he could be a superhero, in his mind, is to do the brawl and leave the talk to others. Do what he`s good at. Reply with canned responses. Don`t tell me you didn`t find his attitude obnoxious - he pretty much converses solely by canned lines from various hero comics.  
- OK, well. That does sound like him, I suppose.  
- She supposes. Pfah. Don`t "suppose", Pumpkin - figure out. You have facts laid out before you - think about how they come together, and extrapolate on that. It`s like making jigsaw puzzle. It might not make sense at first, but then you find yourself a corner piece, some eges, build up on that, begin to make out picture... and before you know it, you have a real deal laid out before you.  
- Teacher vibe much, Shego? I get it already. Be paranoid and doublecheck everything, trust noone, always verify... I get you just fine, thankyouverymuch.  
- Heh. You talk as if it`s as nasty as working at fertiliser factory.  
- You talk as if it`s best thing since sliced bread.  
- Best? Not really. More like - necessary for survival.  
- Well, I don`t have to like that, you know.  
- You don`t have to like breathing either, but you gotta do that regardless.  
- It`s NOT the same! Don`t even try that. Where would we be if everyone treated everyone else like worst scum on earth?!  
- And you`re just being cantankerous now. Since then respect is blind obedience?  
- What blind obedience!? If you can`t trust law enforcers, who you can trust at all?  
- Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who will guard the guards, Pumpkin? Who will enforce the law on law enforcers? They`re just humans, when all is said and done. Just as the people they police. Just as prone to temptation and betrayal as any human is.  
- This is ridiculous. Who will guard guards` guards, then? This is circular logic, Shego.  
- Duh, Kimmie. Police is picked out of people they safeguard. Therefore, there is no guarantee some of the policemen won`t become criminals. No matter how close you scrutinise them for loyalty and sense of duty. I ought to know - I`m the prime example of law enforcer turning sides. And no matter what you might think, I`m not alone in my decision. A lot of former policemen became criminals for various reasons. A good deal of policemen manage to be policemen AND criminals at the same time. Ultimately, there is no way to ensure law enforcer is unquestioningly devout to the law - which is why the complexity of judicial system is necessary. This is a check to power of police, among everything else.  
- It`s necessary only because of traitors like you.  
- Traitors? That`s mighty heavy word you`re hefting here, Pumpkin.  
- Try and tell me it`s undeserved, I dare you.  
- Well, that would depend on what exactly do you claim me to betray. Country? No, not really. Crooked fat cats at the top of power? Hell, yes. Ten times yes.  
- What now? You presume to tell me you became criminal because "The Man" keeps you down?  
- Mmm? No, not really. I`m not that young, Princess. I left law enforcement because I saw the tendency. It`s because of the world peace, really.  
- What?... World peace?  
- Do you remember when I was in team Go? The end of Cold War. The great rift. Iron Curtain. Propaganda battle. Spy galore. The Great Game. Thousands and thousands of capable, efficient and amoral opportunists, killers and visionaries bred and nurtured by governments suddenly finding themselves out of work. Armies without commander or purpose. Guess where all those people went?  
- Law enforcement?  
- Bingo. A lot of them struck out on their own. Became mercenaries, security specialists, military advisers... Terrorists. Criminals. Drug lords. Others stayed with government, their days of glory and high-rolling days past now that government only has paperpushing opportunities with minimal wages. Disgruntled does not even begin to describe those people. Naturally, they tend to make most of their positions - by hook or by crook, to get back into the Great Game.

- It`s like a drug, Princess. The sweetest of sweet that people would kill and die for. Not even the riches gained - the game itself. They used to be the pinnacle of nation - and now they`re lowly clerks. Ironically, now when it`s no longer feasible to play the USA vs USSR game... Those people changed the rules to Law Enforcers vs Criminals game. Different team names, same rules.  
- What are you getting at? That you just switched teams, that`s it?  
- Nay. I stepped out of the game. Notice that I work only for crazed kooks with illusions of grandeur. Drakken, Senor Senior Senior, DNAmy. People who are ultimately not involved in the Great Game due to their vast mental deviations. This is pretty much the grey zone where I`m relatively safe from both sides. Which, Pumpkin, is another motive for me to never ever get involved with serious business. You won`t find me dealing with gun runners, drug trafficking, money launderers. People don`t live long in the middle of spycraft, and damnit, I want to live. I want to have my fair chance to get old and be the crazy cat lady who bakes best ginger cookies on Glen Oaks Avenue.  
- PPpf.... Ppphahahhaaaa!... Ogod... BWHAHAAAAA!  
- Laugh it up, Kimmie. Laugh it up.  
- Sorry. It`s just... the image of you as crazy cat lady... PPhahaha!  
- One can dream, you know. This is one inalienable right noone ever tried to take yet.  
- Fine, fine. Hehehe. I get what you`re saying here. Sort of.  
- OK, so what did you got?  
- Huh? Well... Wait, that does not make any sense! GGah, you... you... UUGH!  
- ..Oh dear. Yes, it does make sense. Look, it breaks down like this - since the world`s in peace now, noone needs spies anymore. Some of the spies became criminals due to that. To keep them in check, governments and business fat cats tolerate those spies who are still loyal to the government. But that toleration is tenuous now, because everyone understands that as soon as former spies turned criminals would be eliminated, same fate would befall loyalists. So their only hope to stay alive and playing their Great Game is to maintain their vicious cycle. Betty and her posse are one of such groups - dinosaurs that still hold on doggedly to their source of life, unwilling to give way to new generation. But they`re not getting younger - if Betty could rely on a core of her Cold War posse before as main force in GI, there`s only handful of them left now. And this leaves Betty to contend with GI comprised mostly of people from this generation - who would happily consign themselves to routine police work because that`s what they associate with peace and their work as they see it.  
- Mhm... Continue.  
- This would leave Betty out to dry. Cold War people are dying out, like dinosaurs. They had gunned down each other for better part of twelfth century, don`t forget. Betty can no longer point out to her former colleagues now running criminal cartels and say "Look, this is why you need me. Who`s gonna deal with them, if not me? A new generation of spies?" This is why GI is trying to implicate me and other grey area denizens as the new age bogeymen. If they could scaremonger enough support, they could`ve wrestled the right to create a new generation of spies out of government, indeed.  
- Ok. But you picked this plot apart in seconds. How can Dr. Director be a master spy, if her best effort is something so half-cocked?  
-Ah. Applying the logic at last, Kimmie. Well, I do not believe this inanity was hatched by Betty to begin with. She`s after it, but I`m willing to bet you she`s not aware of the exact details yet. This is her giving a chance to potential new generation - implying that they need to use less then sterling means to stop the crime for good and then looking on what they come up with. Also, let`s not forget this scheme had pulled the wool over your eyes quite nicely.  
- Mmm. I`m still maintaining that you`re not out of the woods on this one.  
- And that`s fair enough. I don`t think it`s going to be relevant for much longer, though. From what I know of Betty, she will pull the plug on this scheme as soon as details would reach her table. It`s just too hamfisted for her to use.  
- I wouldn`t be so sure about that. There`s still a lot of....

Whatever Kim was about to say was left unspoken, as the sudden clang of metal interrupted her. Both females peered upwards on the safety hatch. It was getting opened from the outside. With a creak of rusty metal, hatch was pulled away. "Ms. Possible?" - it was young GI agent, his serious face and brand new uniform contrasting sharply with unruly red hair and abundant freckles, - "Are you OK?" Before he managed to say anything else, Shego tossed a handful of smoke pellets on the floor.

After a momentary scuffle, Kim had managed to catch someone and pin that someone under herself. Much to her chagrin, that was the redheaded GI agent. As Kim looked up, she had just enough time to swear under her breath, as Shego punched out pilot of rescue speedboat and tossed him into the escape pod on top of Kim. While redhead heroine clambered from under the pile of bodies, green thief gunned the engine and sped away from the pod, her mocking laughter echoing over the waves. Grumbling, Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator, and flagged down Wade`s attention to arrange for another ride for her and her hapless saviours.

___

- So, Shego got away. Well, maybe it`s for the best, this time.  
- Excuse me, Dr. Director?  
- Ah, that`s right. I haven`t updated you on that yet, Kimberly. This rape case against Shego is recalled. Too many things didn`t add up about it, and I`ve ordered it to be reinvestigated. Apparently, some of GI agents fabricated the case in misguided attempt to capture her for good. I can sort of understand where they`re coming from, but this is not acceptable conduct for law enforcers.  
- Oh. She said it... Um.  
- Shego said it`s fabricated? Sadly, that much was self-evident, Kimberly. The more I look into it, the more it seems like a silly prank to me. Rest assured, guilty party had been dealt with, and will not be perpetrating such hoaxes again anytime soon.  
- Well, um. OK. I`m sort of glad she didn`t do that. It seemed just too... too unlike her, I think.  
- Now, now, Kimberly, no need to make up excuses for Shego yet. There`s more then enough crimes she is guilty of, remember.  
- I`m so not!... Er, sorry, Dr. Director.  
- That`s OK, go on. You were saying?  
- Um. Nothing. It`s just... Uh, I`m pretty sure Shego`s got her excuses covered.  
- Indeed. That does not matter, though. Eventually, she will slip up. And we`ll be there to get her when she does.

Author Notes: This is one-shot. And yes, I mean it. I`m aware of just how many options for sequel, prequel, second chapter and whatnot are there, but I`m not going to write those. In my opinion, this piece is not supposed to get any more details - it`s up to reader to fill the blanks by logic and deduction.  
If you feel like figuring out or guessing what`s supposed to be in the blanks, by all means, please do. However, I will not confirm or deny anything.

N.B. Yes, I`m aware there is a lot of dialogue here. Initially, this was supposed to be one huge dialogue between Kim and Shego. I had to add some non-spoken details for the sake of story cohesion, but in the end, it`s the dialogue between the characters which is showcased here.


End file.
